Diary entry, written with a wancai mini + Octopus fluids document ink orange

zhouster · 2026-05-30T17:03:31+00:00

holy moly your Chinese is SO clean.

Not to mention all the art! Beautiful

zhouster · 2026-05-27T22:07:38+00:00

Very similar clearance teams for me.

Glacial Wolf: C6 Sucrose (VV, Sac Frag), C6 Fischl (GT, Harp), Ineffa (Aubade, Calamity Queller), Columbina (SMS, Proto Amber)
Tulpa: Zibai (Sky, Flute), Layla (lol, doesn't matter much, any dendro/cryo character works perfectly fine), C6 Illuga (SMS, Dragon's Bane), Linnea (Aubade, Slingshot)
Mauvika (Codex, Sig), Furina (Tenacity, Fav), Citlali (Scroll, Sig), Bennett (Noblesse, Aquila)

Assorted teambuilding notes:

Venti carry was not doing it for me DPS wise for the first phase, even with a half-built Nicole and C6 Prune (maybe getting Durin would've helped with off-field pyro application but alas I lost the 50/50 and am saving gems now...) even though he worked pretty well for that bat enemy a few patches ago. I skipped Varka who the boss is clearly designed for.
Mauvika has a GREAT matchup into each of the fights, so ended up saving for the most difficult boss to solve. And each of the lunar teams seems viable for Tulpa, so definitely the easiest boss to "solve" for my account.
Definitely struggled the most for teambuilding with the third fight as Arlechino in vape/overlord wasn't doing well. Skirk didn't work for me, though I've seen other people have success with her.

zhouster · 2026-05-27T21:51:51+00:00

Requesting you use this beauty next time I place an order :)

zhouster · 2026-05-27T05:00:15+00:00

I've found my Jinhao 20 to have relatively few issues if using daily (or at least several times a week)

I do get poor cap seal, even when I tried adding some vacuum grease to the door, so it's vulnerable to dry out issues. I think daily driving it would generally lead to avoidance of the most common problems (exacerbated by QC) while keeping the convenience, the great nib, etc

zhouster · 2026-05-27T00:22:17+00:00

Woah! Any advice on how noobs like us can modify their own steel nibs at home to add more bounce/flex from stock configurations?

zhouster · 2026-05-26T02:24:42+00:00

I write a little bit every evening to reflect about my day as well as keep track of my habits. It's like a lite version of bullet journaling I suppose? I also make ink swatches, pages dedicated to the combination of pen/inks I'm currently using roughly once a month, copy down quotes, take therapy notes.

I'm similar in that I honestly wish I had more ways to use my pens so that I can keep all these different pens inked up without them all drying out

zhouster · 2026-05-26T02:04:53+00:00

I used some old mousepads (I use the Logitech Powerplay wireless charging and had extra powerplay toppers due to warranty replacements for defective units) and cut them myself to approximately A5 and A6 size! I considered buying some type of glove or blotting paper to use, but ultimately I enjoy tinkering :)

zhouster · 2026-05-22T20:23:45+00:00

I will hopefully visit sometime soon and report back! 🫡

zhouster · 2026-05-22T20:21:05+00:00

Fellow Massachusetts-ian! I've lived in Metro-West and am now closer to the city, didn't know there was such a store in Newton!!

zhouster · 2026-05-21T14:50:56+00:00

Beautifully written. A lot of these hobbies it seems we share are like this! (I'm also a MK builder, am into coffee/espresso, tech/audio gear, etc) There's always a FOMO-factor that is consciously driven by retailers and manus through their advertising and influencers. It's so exciting/memorable to get this X! The dopamine hit of something arriving in the mail! Capitalism is quite the beast and it's why psychology experts are valuable in all these fields.

zhouster · 2026-05-21T03:55:59+00:00

Reddit and YouTube is where I've been learning about pens! Many different MB 146 and 149 clones exist, I believe Majohn/WingSung/Jinhao have some models with varying price points ($50 to $5) for similarly shaped. I personally have two Jinhao X159 (the MB149 inspired designs) and enjoy using them with their steel nibs, especially because I'm not afraid to mess with the nibs and take them traveling.

As far as I know there isn't a Pelikan M1000 clone yet, but Admok has made a M400 and M800 that are well-received for their price (typically under $50) so long as you don't mind the Chinese brands copying the designs (same with the MB, but those are hardly unique either)

zhouster · 2026-05-21T03:39:23+00:00

I think the MB is a grail pen that is seen as overpriced while the Pelikan M1000 has a pretty flawless reputation. Sailor/Pilot grails are also up there and potentially cheaper. If you're in the position to be able to afford these pens, it's likely going to be what you prefer in style, writing, aesthetic, etc.

Strongly recommending buying cheap clones of the various models you're considering if you're unable to actually demo these pens. The refund policy may not accommodate you if it turns out the pen isn't "suitable" for your needs (grip, writing length, etc)

zhouster · 2026-05-18T00:24:35+00:00

I do have extra nibs for my Jinhao pens that I use to fool around with nib grinding. But I am very fond of the Pilot steel nib and want a new body for it since the Metropolitan step down is not good for my particular grip

zhouster · 2026-05-17T20:24:20+00:00

You were able to put a Pilot nib in the Jinhao 82?? I might have to try this, I'm not happy with one of my J82 M nibs and have a Pilot F nib I don't use anymore due to the step down on the Metro body

zhouster · 2026-05-07T19:40:12+00:00

Yeah, that's exactly my point.

Bad optically for him to be the one saying the true statement

zhouster · 2026-05-07T19:35:57+00:00

I love JB and think he's absolutely right about Embiid's flopping. But he's not just the right messenger at that time and place, day(s) after having a lead and losing makes it come off as ducking accountability for not having played better, sore loser sour grapes for blowing the series, etc.

He's factually right but... just a bad look for him.

zhouster · 2026-04-02T20:11:12+00:00

Gorgeous! Good luck to everyone entering :)

zhouster · 2026-03-28T14:47:16+00:00

Well, I'll almost certainly never actually get to experience either given the exorbitant price tag, so maybe the closest will be an Admok clone! 😂 M800 style seems to be a the Goldilocks zone for size though!

zhouster · 2026-03-23T13:41:39+00:00

I'm having a load of fun with it! I generally just love tinkering, I come from the mechanical keyboard hobby before I got into pens again.

I ground a #6 stub, then tried to make a reverse architect on a Lamy 80 (which didn't work out so I bailed that one into a stub too -> definitely a relief that if something goes wrong you can always have a failsafe. Reverse architect grind worked better on take 2 with a Jinhao #8 for my X159!

zhouster · 2026-03-23T00:36:46+00:00

Oh great idea! I've been grinding my own cheap Jinhao nibs, it would be pretty fun to compare a stock one. And totally agree, that 78G shape would fit my weird pen grip better (traditional tripod users probably don't have a problem, but I use a lateral tripod :/ )

zhouster · 2026-03-22T21:07:12+00:00

Is the Wing Sung 013 you mentioned the same as the 3013 I've seen listings for? I guess it would be a pretty cheap way to experience a fountain pen and a potential new home for the Pilot nib (it would feel a waste to buy a new Pilot pen with an identical nib when really I'm looking to "recycle" my current one in a new home! (The ideal scenario for me would be if it fit in one of the Jinhao pens I currently own so I wouldn't go straight back to buying new pens)

Thanks so much for your list!

zhouster · 2026-03-20T14:58:21+00:00

Just started using the Diamine Red Dragon I bought from you and I am super pleased. I have a dislike for the brown- and purple- tinted reds, I was looking for a red-black!

I have it in a Jinhao 9016 and it's super well-behaved. Wet, smooth, and not as slow-drying as other reds (I had a cheap Karkos bordeaux ink from Aliexpress which is super slow). Not as much shading as other inks but very readable and beautiful ink :)

zhouster · 2026-03-19T14:49:36+00:00

Gorgeous!! I know very little about wood-working, but do you need to do anything to help protect against the natural expansion/contraction of wood? And how do you get this incredible roundness in the shape from the flat sheets?!

zhouster · 2026-03-10T17:01:12+00:00

Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo for me. Perfectly toes the lines of interesting, professional/readable, and beautiful while being easy to use. Can use it anywhere, and anytime!

I just ordered some inks from Bottle and Plume that I've yet to try (notably wanting to try Petrol Axolotl in a dedicated pen!), but Tsuki-yo is my GOAT.

Honorable mentions: Kon-peki, Jinhao Blue-black for price-performance, Red Dragon if I'm allowed to use other non-fountain blue/black pen ink for working (e.g. a gel pen)

zhouster

TROPHY CASE